Searching for a Cause
by SweetandSmiley.xoxo
Summary: When Jace's nightmares begin controlling him and threatening his relationship with Clary, Alec and Isabelle suggest that he gets help. Magnus calls on a good friend of his that has experience with healing. At first meeting, it seems her and Jace will never see eye to eye. But as time wears on, both begin to realize that they had much more in common than they thought.
1. Chapter 1

**Searching for a Cause**

Author's Note: Hey guys! Not sure if any of you have checked out my other story "You're All I Ever Wanted", but if you haven't, s'all good! I'll be honest… I've lost my inspiration on that and moreover, whether I'll finish it or not is an unknown fact. Anyhow, though I do hold a special place in my heart for the Harry Potter series and J.K. Rowling's beautiful writing, I am absolutely in love with The Mortal Instruments series! I saw the movie in the summer, although I was a bit disappointed with how that turned out (feel free to PM me about your thoughts and opinions on that!). I've got some good ideas for this fanfic. I mapped everything out already and I'm more than excited to see how things will turn out. For this story, things start rolling after City of Glass. It's an AU so it doesn't follow the plotline of City of Fallen Angels. It will be a Jace/OC fanfic for the most part, but I can tell you that there will be some Sizzy and Malec. Without further ado (drum roll)… here's Chapter One!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Cassandra Clare's beautiful characters *cough* Magnus *cough*, or anything else that came from her brilliant mind.

**Chapter 1**

**The Nightmare Continues**

I bolted upright in my bed, my hair sticking to my forehead with beads of sweat. I roughly pushed the sheets off my body, suddenly feeling hot, even though I was in only a black pair of pants. The clock on my bedside table read 2:30 a.m. _Another horrible nightmare, _I thought to myself. Ever since returning to the Institute from Alicante, I've been having the same horrible dream night after night. Clary comes into my room, we do…stuff, and she suddenly ends up lying limp on the floor, a deep gash running across her throat, and a bloody knife in my hand.

Having these dreams, these nightmares about Clary, literally kills me. I know pain. I've faced it time and time again, risking my life to save the people who mean the world to me. But this…sometimes I feel as if slashing myself carelessly with a dagger would be less painful. A dictionary or a thesaurus would be completely useless to me if someone told me to describe how important Clary is to me. Saying she's my everything is an understatement. Everything that's happened within the past year, from the time I first met her outside Pandemonium to just recently when she brought me back to life by Lake Lyn, I've realized one thing: no matter how hard I'd try, I wouldn't be able to live without her.

I sighed as I fell backwards, the firm mattress cushioning my fall. I stared up at the ceiling, blinking every now and then. It was as if every blink represented another minute that passed. I looked at the clock again. 2:45 a.m. Groaning in frustration, I sat up again. It was pretty obvious that sleep was out of the question at this point. I had no clue who or what was causing these nightmares, but one thing was for certain. I had to make sure Clary stayed safe no matter what. If they were any indication as to what I might do to her in the future…God I couldn't live with myself afterward. I'd have to do everything I could to keep her safe, no matter what that entailed. _For Clary._

* * *

><p>I slowly opened my eyes and realized that it was already morning. Somehow, I was able to fall back asleep. My clock read 9:00 a.m. I sat up, grabbed some clean clothes from the closet, and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. My skin was still sticky with sweat. After showering and changing, I heard a knock at the door. Opening it, I was met with a pair of familiar blue eyes. Alec.<p>

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me and Iz in a few minutes. We were planning on training a bit. You know, brush up on some skills. It_ has_ been a few weeks since Alicante. I'm afraid of getting out of shape." He was in his usual uniform: some black pants and a T-shirt with one too many holes in it. His arms were folded over his chest and he was rocking back and forth on his heels, as if already impatient.

"I just took a shower," I sighed. "Really Alec, I thought that your timing would've gotten better."

He rolled his eyes. "Jace, who cares. Take another shower after. It's not that big a deal."

I scoffed. "Not that big a deal? For all you know, my golden halo of sexiness could lose its angelic touch if I wash it too many times," I said motioning to my hair.

"Golden halo of sexiness? I understand angel blood runs through your veins and most, if not all, girls could attest to the fact that you _are_ attractive, though you're not exactly my type, but a man's hair is not all that matters."

"Really? So, if I were to shave every glittery piece of hair off your boyfriend's head, you wouldn't care? At all?" I always knew Magnus was his weak spot.

He narrowed his eyes at me and only glared for a few seconds. "He's a warlock actually" was all I got before he turned around and stomped away, muttering something about Magnus' hair being perfect the way it is.

I chuckled and was about to close the door when I heard my name being called. "Jace!" I heard that the voice was female, one that belonged to my sister. It was Isabelle. She was down the hallway and walked toward me, her black hair down to her waist. She was wearing a typical "Isabelle" outfit: tight black pants, high-heeled boots that went up to her thigh, and a tight black tank top. The way her hips swayed with every step just seemed to enhance the look.

"Isabelle, please tell your brother he needs to stop getting so worked up every time I crack a joke about his little bromance with Magnus."

She snorted. "He may be my brother, but that doesn't change where his sexuality lies. You know how much they care about each other. And quite honestly, I think Magnus is a good influence on Alec. He seems more…out there," she said, motioning with her hands. "You know what it's like being in love. Look at you and Clary," she said looking down at the floor. I detected the hint of sadness in her voice.

I frowned. "Izzy, don't worry. You'll find someone. Remember, there's someone for everyone. Actually, that's a stupid mundane saying that I doubt has any truth to it. But still, you're badass Isabelle Lightwood! You'll find a boy who loves you, not just because he thinks you're great in bed."

"Okay, Jace, I appreciate this nice brother-sister talk, I really do. But now it's just creeping me out. More than walking in on Magnus doing things I didn't know were possible to Alec."

"Ew! Iz, what the hell is wrong with you? I'm getting these images in my head! And it's just…just…wrong!"

She started laughing. "Look, I didn't come here to talk about love and the many problems gay couples face in their relationship. I came here to ask if you wanted to train with me and Alec. It's been a while. I thought we could use the extra time to limber up again."

"Sorry Isabelle, but I was thinking we could go to Taki's later for dinner because I'm supposed to be hanging out with Clary today. I think Simon will be there. "

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll tell Alec. And Jace?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay? I mean, you look like you've gotten no sleep these past few days. You haven't been eating much either." She looked me over and I knew she saw the dark circles under my eyes and my visibly smaller frame.

"I'm fine Izzy. Don't worry about me. Your eyes are probably just getting the better of you." I couldn't tell her about the nightmares. I couldn't tell anyone for that matter. I could deal with it on my own.

Isabelle seemed weary about my answer, her face holding a look of doubt. But she just shrugged and said, "Alright. Whatever you say. I'll see you later then." And with a smile, she walked off to go train with Alec.

_Some things are just better left unsaid, _I told myself. These nightmares _had_ to stop someday. I didn't need help. Of course, if anybody—especially Clary—found out, I'd be fussed over like I carried some life-threatening disease. I couldn't risk it. Now that things were over with Valentine and it seemed like everything was going back to normal, I couldn't help but think that I'd just ruin it. Bothering people with my problems felt like a selfish thing to do, even for me. After all, everyone's been through hell and back trying to protect each other, Clary, and myself. And it's not like they don't have their own problems to worry about. Simon, though I'm not entirely sure if I like him or not—we simply just save each other's lives from time to time—is still dealing with living as a vampire. And not just any vampire, but a Daylighter. Vampires, werewolves, and other shadowhunters are probably on his ass every day for that. The Lightwoods are still trying to get over Max's death. Alec and Magnus have been having some pretty rocky moments in their relationship, too, what with the Clave being so against gay people. Jocelyn and Luke are trying to plan their wedding, but she's still a little shaken up by what happened with her son. I mean, with a psychopathic son like that, who wouldn't be. And Clary, having to deal with everything that's happened to her so far. Throwing my own difficulties in there would only make things worse. I'd just have to stick it out for now.

* * *

><p>Alec, Isabelle, and I were in a booth at Taki's, waiting for Simon and Clary to join us. I began tapping my foot impatiently as Alec and Isabelle made idle conversation. What it was about, I had no clue. I was just waiting for <em>her<em> to show up.

At that exact moment, two people walked in. I recognized the red head of ringlets right away, and the pale brown-haired vampire beside her. She greeted me with a warm smile as they made their way towards us.

"Jace," she said almost out of breath as she gave me a light kiss on the cheek. When she pulled away, I noticed a tint of pink on her cheeks from the cold outside.

"Clary," I gave her a grin as I motioned for her to sit down next to me.

When she sat down, I looked up at Simon, who was standing awkwardly at the head of the table, as if waiting for us to greet him.

"Just because you're all vamped up now, doesn't mean your legs are broken," Isabelle joked. "Alec, move over, make some room for him."

Alec groaned but shifted over so that Simon could sit next to Isabelle. She smiled at him and they began talking while Alec amused himself with the salt and pepper shakers on the table. When I turned to look at Clary, she was frowning.

"You haven't been answering any of my calls. Or texts. The last time I saw you was a week ago and you barely said anything to me. It seems like even Alec or Isabelle want to spend more time with me than you. Maybe I'm being too pushy. But I don't know, I thought that when people were in relationships and said 'I love you' to each other, it meant that they wanted to see each other and talk to each other as much as possible." She paused and sighed before continuing. "I was surprised you even wanted to see me today."

It was my turn to frown. "Clary, I always want to see you-"

"It sure doesn't feel like it at the moment," she snapped. "I know you're ignoring me. Why, I have no clue."

"I'm not! Clary, you have to trust me-"

"Trust you? How can I trust you when you don't even want to speak to me?" Her anger was starting to make me nervous, so much that I had to look down at my hands. When I noticed she wasn't saying anything else, I looked back up and saw that her features were more relaxed and calm. "Jace," she said softly, placing her small hand on mine which was resting on my lap, "if there's something going on, you know you can tell me. You can tell me anything."

"Clary-" but before I could reply, Kaelie, the faerie waitress that always served us at Taki's, appeared at our table.

She smiled flirtatiously. "What can I get for you guys today?"

"I'll just have some blood, please and thanks." I had completely forgotten that Simon, Alec, and Isabelle were there, too. I was so focused on my conversation with Clary.

"I'm good with a coffee and some spaghetti," Alec deadpanned.

"I'm cool with coffee, as well, and maybe some sweet potato fries," Isabelle said cheerfully.

"Just a coffee. Black please," Clary said, a little coolly.

Kaelie then turned to me, her crystal blue eyes bore into mine as she batted her eyelashes. "And what can I get for you Jace?"

"Coffee, too, and some pancakes if you would." After writing down all our orders, she gave a quick wink and went off.

After Kaelie left, it was safe to say the atmosphere at our table was a horrible combination of quiet and awkward. Nobody would say anything, not even Simon who usually went off about one of his favourite geek movie series that always lasted a minimum of ten minutes. It was as if he, Alec, and Isabelle could sense the tension between me and Clary. An eternity later, Isabelle finally said something. Leave it to Izzy to always disturb the silence.

"So, how are things going with the wedding planning Clary? Are your mom and Luke managing okay?"

"Yeah things are good I guess," Clary responded, no real emotion in her voice. I could tell she was distracted, still thinking about our conversation earlier.

"That's good," Isabelle replied. It wasn't hard to tell that Clary wasn't even paying attention.

"Awkward silences are the worst," Alec suddenly said to no one in particular. Everyone turned to look at him, and after seeing the glares shot his way, sunk down into his black t-shirt which had more holes than I cared to count.

"Alec, just because it's an awkward silence doesn't mean you have to insert your own awkwardness to add to the already awkward moment," Isabelle chastised.

"That makes no sense my little Shadowhunter friend," Simon chuckled, but he instantly regretted that comment after seeing the daggers Isabelle threw his way.

Light bickering immediately ensued between the three across from Clary and I about hell knew what. I couldn't even look at Clary's breathtaking green eyes, knowing that I'd only feel guilt and shame about having to keep a secret from her. She knows everything about me, every painful detail about my past, and now I'm forced to keep something from her.

Before I can even contemplate another thought, Kaelie returns with our orders. This is probably the only time I was ecstatic to see the faerie waitress. She set them down carefully, and sending a wink my way, turned around and tended to another customer. We grabbed our food and drinks from the center of the table, and began slowly eating away. _Well this dinner turned out to be just great. _And as I looked around the table at Clary, Alec, Isabelle, and the vampire freak, they all seemed to be thinking the same thing.

* * *

><p>"Okay Jace, out with it."<p>

"Out with what Isabelle?" We were already back at the Institute and the way had been relatively quiet and uneventful. Until now.

"Tell us what's wrong! We've known you practically your whole life and we can tell when something isn't right!"

"There's nothing wrong, I swear! Come on Alec, help me out here."

"I hate to agree with my sister, but she's right. I mean you practically pushed Clary into her house when she insisted on coming back here to the Institute. And you hardly said a word over dinner. Let's be realistic here… Jace Lightwood on mute? It just doesn't happen. Something is clearly wrong."

"I never knew you had the potential to be deep," Isabelle said absentmindedly. I shook my head and chose not to comment.

"Whatever. You're both overthinking this whole thing! So what if I was a little quiet over dinner and who cares if for once, I didn't want Clary coming over! I just didn't get enough sleep last night, that's all."

"That seems to be a growing trend," Isabelle said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Isabelle…" I started but she cut me off.

"Whatever Jace. Do whatever you want. Just remember that whatever it is you're hiding, and don't protest because you and I both know there is something, you can't hide it forever. The truth will eventually come out." And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away, swatting me with some of her jet black mane in the process.

"Well I am telling you the truth!" I shouted down the hallway, her heels clicking and clacking in a rhythmic beat.

I turned back around to face Alec, only to find that he was making his way towards the door.

"And where do you think you're going? Sneaking off again, are we?"

"Were you expecting otherwise at this late hour?" he asked, completely emotionless.

"Yes well, your boyfriend should be considerate of the fact that it's extremely late in the evening. You never know what kind of evil lurks around the city during these hours. You should be staying here at home, Alec."

"In fact," he began, "I do know what kind of evil lies in this city at this time of day." He continued walking to the door, and before leaving, he turned back to look at me. "Besides, home is where the heart is." With that, he stepped into the night, firmly shutting the door behind him.

I rolled my eyes at two things. One, how insanely cliché what he said was. And two, how extremely annoying it was to witness the complicated relationship between a gay Shadowhunter and an even more gay warlock.

* * *

><p><strong>So I think it's safe to say that chapter one was quite uneventful, as most first chapters are. I can promise you that things will get more interesting later on. Just stick with it! Please leave a review…it'd make my day!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: __I do not own anything that belongs to Cassandra Clare and her Mortal Instruments series._

**Chapter 2**

**Lost in the Darkness**

Saturday was relatively uneventful, as most of my Saturdays had been turning out to be. Not that the weather helped at all. Cloudy, rainy, and little sunshine didn't brighten my mood any more than seeing Simon trying to flirt with Isabelle and failing miserably did. Though between the two, the latter is occasionally quite amusing.

I lay on my bed and stared up at the ceiling of my room. I'd been in this position for the past three hours, not even feeling one minute of it. Nobody's come knocking at my door, though I didn't expect it. Isabelle seemed pissed off that I refused to tell her the truth, and Alec, well, who knows what kind of mood he was in last night. But judging by how eager he was to leave, I'd say he was in a rather good one, as far as his emotions go, which really isn't far at all.

_"__You haven't been answering any of my calls. Or texts. The last time I saw you was a week ago and you barely said anything to me. It seems like even Alec or Isabelle want to spend more time with me than you. Maybe I'm being too pushy. But I don't know, I thought that when people were in relationships and said 'I love you' to each other, it meant that they wanted to see each other and talk to each other as much as possible." _I suddenly thought of what Clary said to me last night at Taki's. Every word that came out was out of pure anger, hurt, and…disappointment. The last thing I'd ever want to do is disappoint Clary or hurt her in any way. And here I was, doing just that.

_"__Trust you? How can I trust you when you don't even want to speak to me?"_ I brought my hands up to cover my face, trying to remove the vivid picture of Clary's sad eyes boring into mine from my head forever. Just to think of losing Clary's trust made me sick to my stomach. She's been through so much, and she's always trusted me to protect her and take care of her. The last thing I want is to not be trusted by someone I love. Then again, if she or Alec or Isabelle found out about my nightmares…that wouldn't do anyone much good either.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud grumbling sound—my stomach. I realized I hadn't eaten anything since the pancakes last night at Taki's, which was well over twelve hours ago. I decided to finally move from my sedimentary position and go to the kitchen to get something to eat. _Maybe there'll be some spaghetti in the fridge. _When I got to the kitchen, I found Isabelle sitting on one of the stools, idly sipping a cup of coffee in one hand, and twirling a strand of her long black hair in the other simultaneously.

"There's some in there, you know," she said. "I've known you for a long time now, and I know you're looking for spaghetti." She motioned to the fridge. "There's some in there."

I shuffled over to the fridge and opened it, my eyes lighting up at the sight of cold spaghetti. At this point, I'd be happy to see any kind of food. "Thanks," I replied as I turned to face my sister.

She nodded, as if silently saying "You're welcome."

I grabbed a fork and took a seat on the stool next to Izzy. It was quiet for a while, her taking sips out of her cup every now and then, and me devouring the cold spaghetti in front of me.

"He hasn't returned yet."

"Who hasn't?" I asked, twirling another bundle of noodles around my fork.

"Alec," she replied. "I know he snuck out again last night. I swear, it's like I haven't had a proper conversation with him since Alicante."

"Let's be realistic, Iz. You two never have proper conversations."

She chuckled. Her laugh faded as she stared into her now half-empty mug of coffee. "True, but sometimes I miss spending time with him. Or anyone really. I mean, when you're not here, you're with Clary. Alec always leaves to go to Magnus'. I guess I'm just lonely sometimes," she sighed.

"Why don't you call up Simon and ask him to hang out? I hate seeing you all bummed out like this."

"He's probably busy playing Dungeons and Dragons again or with some friends."

I scoffed. "Okay first, he doesn't have any friends besides us, and I don't even know if I'd consider me and him friends. Second, it doesn't have to be anything serious. Just ask him if he wants to meet up and hang out."

"I'm not sure. I mean, just 'hanging out' isn't exactly my thing."

"Yes, but neither is sulking around all the time and being all depressed."

She thought about this for a bit, and then grinned up at me. "You're right. I'm going to go call him right now," she said as she got up off the stool. "Thank you," she gave me a quick smile and began making her way out of the kitchen.

Before leaving, she stopped walking and whirled around. "Jace?"

"Yes?"

"I'm your sister above everything else. If something's wrong, you can tell me."

I looked into her black eyes, and saw the same concern I did last night. "I know."

"Good," she said, as she turned back around and left.

I was smart enough to know that she still didn't believe me, but at least she wasn't pushing the matter any further. I knew that it would come up again though, but I was just glad that she chose not to press on when I really didn't feel like defending myself again. I didn't feel like doing much of anything, especially after that awkward dinner last night at Taki's. The more I thought about it, the less appetizing the spaghetti I was eating seemed to be. I hopped off the stool I was sitting on and placed the container back in the refrigerator, seeing as though there was still a good amount left. I placed my fork in the sink when I heard the front door of the Institute open and close. Someone had just arrived and I had a certain feeling I knew exactly who it was.

* * *

><p>"So I see some marks on your neck that have never been there before," my voice seemed to have startled Alec as he jumped straight in the air after turning around from closing the door. "They could be runes, but with the amount of knowledge you know I have, they obviously are not," I smirked at him.<p>

He deeply reddened, clearly embarrassed that I had seen evidence of the great night he had. "Izzy isn't hearing about this," was his response.

I laughed. "She doesn't have to hear. She has two working eyes. All she has to do is take one look at you and the whole story is practically written on your neck." His continued blushing just made me laugh even more. We made our way towards the library, continuing our conversation as we walked.

"I'm serious Jace. The last thing I need is Isabelle interrogating me for the next three hours because of this."

"Oh, so just like you two were interrogating me last night thinking something was wrong when, in fact, I'm perfectly fine?" I shot back.

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, exposing a large hole embedded in the shoulder of his t-shirt sleeve. "Look, you know we care about you. And we've just noticed that things with you have been a little off since Alicante, that's all. But if you say you're fine, then you are."

"Well then tell Izzy to lay off a little with the constant nagging."

"I'll try, but we both know that won't end well."

I grinned. "I suppose you make a good point, my _parabatai_."

"Speaking of the bitch, where is she?"

"She went to go call Simon asking if he wanted to hang out. She's been feeling a little lonely lately. And I don't blame her. Things have been pretty quiet around here."

He nodded in agreement. "I guess," he replied. "Wait a minute, if Isabelle is going to hang out with Simon, shouldn't you be dying to ask Clary to do the same?"

I sighed. I wasn't entirely sure whether it was out of exhaustion from being asked so many questions or whether it was because whenever someone said Clary's name, I felt a pang of guilt in the pit of my stomach. "I would, but I've been meaning to brush up on my training a bit. I've been slacking on my blade-handling." _Lie._

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Really? _The_ Jace Lightwood saying he needs practice with a blade?"

"Really. For instance, just last week, when we were fighting those demons uptown, one nearly sunk its teeth right into me because I missed a perfectly clear head shot!" _Another lie. I never miss._

"Okay, whatever you say. But before you do any sort of training, I suggest you get some rest. You look exhausted," Alec said as we walked through the huge doors opening to the library.

"I probably will. I am feeling tired. I didn't get much sleep last night." _Truth._

* * *

><p><em>I was standing on a grassy hill. I wasn't sure where exactly I was, but it was probably some field in Indris. As I looked around, I noticed a tall, lean figure with its back turned to me. His silver hair shone brightly in the night. I'd recognize that head of almost-white locks anywhere. Along with that malicious stance. And that sadistic grin. He's just like his father, standing there in all his evil glory, bathing in the moonlight. He turned around and sent a smirk my way.<em>

_"__I'm truly flattered that I made the cut," he yelled to me. "I mean, it is an honour being in your dreams, Jace."_

_I scoffed. "Please. You're the last person I'd want to meet when I'm asleep and unconscious. I wouldn't exactly classify this as a dream, but more of a nightmare."_

_He laughed incredulously and took several long strides towards me. "Of course it's a nightmare! Dreams are often pleasant and peaceful and comforting. But this," he motioned around him, "this is no dream."_

_"__Just leave Sebastian," I replied sternly, which made him cackle even more._

_"__Leave? Oh no Jace, you see, that's just not possible. I will never leave your thoughts. So long as you live, I will never leave." I have to admit, that last part freaked me out just a bit._

_"__We left you when we took our leave from Alicante. Clary-"_

_"__Ah yes, Clary! My dear sister. How is she doing?" I would've beheaded the guy had this been real._

_"__She's safe now because she's out of your reach," I snarled._

_"__Is she? Is she really safe? Because last time I checked, _you're_ the one out of whose reach she needs to stay out of." When I remained silent, he took the opportunity to walk closer to me and his voice became dangerously low. "I've seen your dreams, Jace. Or nightmares rather. They are quite fascinating-"_

_"__You don't know anything."_

_"__Oh, but I do… I do. I know _everything._" He began slowly circling around me. "I must say though, the plot line of your dreams is rather repetitive. It's the same thing over and over again! At least change it up a little. Maybe instead of slashing her throat, you strangle her instead!"_

_I whipped out the seraph blade from my waist right after the last word left his mouth. I angled the tip right at the base of his throat. "If you say one more word about her, I will kill you. Mark my words."_

_Even in struggle, he managed to give me his typical wicked smile. "This is your nightmare. You can choose whatever happens. But just remember, whatever you choose, it isn't real. What happens out there though, that's the real stuff."_

_Before I could say or do anything else, the scene quickly changed. Suddenly, I wasn't surrounded by green fields and no longer was Sebastian's face being illuminated by the light of the moon. I was lying down on my bed in my room at the Institute. For a few moments, I thought I had woken up. But that couldn't be possible._

_I heard footsteps. They were coming from outside in the hallway. They were coming closer and closer until someone slowly opened my bedroom door and tiptoed quietly in. At first, I couldn't identify the person. All I could tell in such dark lighting was that it was a girl. I automatically assumed it was Clary, but as she came closer, I saw that it was someone I didn't recognize. I still couldn't see much of her face, but as far as I could tell, she had long, dark brown hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves. I noticed golden, tanned skin and her eyes, framed by long lashes, were a light brown colour. She seemed to be of Asian descent._

_She came closer to my bed and eventually sat down. It was then that I noticed she wasn't wearing much clothing. It looked as if she'd just gone to bed, too. She was clad in short grey sleeping shorts and a black tank top. I felt my palms getting sweaty and I slowly started moving towards the other side of the bed with every move she made. I don't know why I felt so intimated. She looked about 5'5, and her legs seemed like they went on for miles._

_ "__Jace." She said in such a soothing way. It was as if this girl had known me her whole life, though I know for a fact I've never seen her before. Well, until now of course._

_"__Do I know you?" I asked, completely dumbfounded by this stranger._

_She laughed and though I hate to admit it, her laugh was like music to my ears. I felt as if I'd heard it before, like it had a sense of familiarity I just couldn't place my finger on. I watched as she tossed her long hair over her back, managing to make it look so graceful and effortless._

_"__Of course you know me. You don't have to play the asshole card with me. It's just us two anyway." Her voice was soft, light, and sweet. Though I still couldn't get a full look at her, I could tell she was something special. She seemed confident, independent…and beautiful. She seemed to understand me, to truly know me. I felt like a complete dick for not knowing who this girl was._

_"__Where is everyone else?" I continued talking to her. It almost felt natural, as if we've done this many times before._

_"__Well, considering that it's 3 in the morning, I'd say sleeping."_

_I chuckled. "Yes, that seems about right."_

_Instead of replying, she scooted closer to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. I didn't back away this time. I kept asking myself if this was considered adultery. She sighed and her eyes fluttered close as I leaned my head against hers._

_"__You're the only one who knows, Jace…the only one who will ever understand." I breathed in her scent. She smelled like honey and maple syrup._

_"__Who knows and understands what?"_

_"__Me."_

* * *

><p>I suddenly woke up, my body covered in sweat. I spent a few moments trying to comprehend what I just saw in my head. I thought of my nightmare of Sebastian. I thought of what he said about Clary, what he said about dreams and reality, what he said about knowing everything…<p>

Then my thoughts jumped to the dream I had of the girl, the mystery girl. I remembered the way she seemed to look right into the depths of my soul and truly _see_ me. I still couldn't get a vivid picture of what she looked like, but from what I do remember seeing, she was an immaculate beauty. Every move she made touched me, every word she spoke was like it came from the mouth of an angel. I still had no clue who she was, how she found her way into my dreams, a place that had only until recently been bombarded by the most horrible of nightmares.

I decided not to dwell on it too much. It was probably sheer coincidence that I dreamt of her. Perhaps it was just the Angel playing a joke on me. There was something more important to focus on, and that was Sebastian. _So long as you live, I will never leave you._ Those words seemed to hold more meaning than I cared to imagine. How could he have known everything though? I know it was just another nightmare, but this is the first time he's made an appearance. I feel like I'm going completely insane. I don't know what's real and not real anymore. I can't even spend time with my own girlfriend without feeling guilty about myself. I just had a dream about a girl I've never seen or met before. What's wrong with me?

_"__This is your nightmare. You can choose whatever happens. But just remember, whatever you choose, it isn't real. What happens out there though, that's the real stuff."_

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked this. Things will definitely start rolling soon, just give it some time. Read it and drop a review on your thoughts! Chapter 3 will be up as soon as I finish it!<strong>


End file.
